The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to medical imaging systems, and more particularly, to Nuclear Medicine (NM) imaging systems which can be Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging systems.
In NM imaging, such as SPECT imaging, radiopharmaceuticals are administered internally to a patient. Radiopharmaceuticals may also be referred to as tracers. Detectors (e.g., gamma cameras), typically installed on a gantry, capture the radiation emitted by the radiopharmaceuticals and this radiation information is used by computer processors running image reconstruction algorithms to form images. The NM images primarily show physiological function of, for example, the patient or a portion of the patient being imaged.
Conventional SPECT imaging systems include one or two gamma cameras mounted to a single gantry. These systems are generally not physically reconfigurable and can only handle one radiation energy level at a time. Additionally, specific collimation may be provided, which typically limits the application of the scanner to a particular type of scan, such as whole body bone exams, cardiac exams, etc. Thus, conventional SPECT imaging systems have limitations in design and/or operational characteristics. Moreover, there is limited flexibility in these imaging systems, especially when it comes to situations where both high and low energies need to be detected by the gamma cameras. There is a need for flexibility of an imaging system to be customizable based on specific patient need, scan type, organ scanned, and operator cost constraints.